WHAT WOULD PAPA AWO HAVE DONE? December 16, 2022

WHAT WOULD PAPA AWO HAVE DONE?

When Chief Obafemi was leaving for London, England, for his legal education, he set up a task upon himself, declaring in a no-hold-bar term that when he comes back to Nigeria, every child in the Western Region who is old enough to go to school must be able to do so without stress. In other words, there must be an elementary school within walking distance from the home of every child. And when he assumed political power on his return to Nigeria, he did exactly as he promised far beyond expectations.

Today, Chief Obafemi Awolowo may not have governed Nigeria as President or Premier of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but he remains the most mentioned and the most revered public servant in Nigeria's political history. And his free education at all levels program in the old Western Region of Nigeria remains the best organized and the most cited of its kind.

Twice, he had the opportunity to go into coalition with other political parties, NPC and NPN, and form a government at the center, twice the talk collapsed. The talk collapsed because Papa Awo would not align without his free education and free Healthcare programs being integrated into the new arrangement or coalition as national policy at the national level.

In 1960, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sadauna of Sokoto, and Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the NPC would not buy into Papa Awo's free education at all levels and affordable healthcare proposals at the federal level during the talk and the coalition died. Sir Bello and Balewa didn't want free education at all levels. And the story repeated itself with Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the NPN during the Second Republic. And where are we today?

The children the federal system refused to care for and extend the ladder of socioeconomic emancipation in 1960 and in 1979 are the parents and grandparents of those tormenting and terrorizing us today all over Nigeria.

Acquiring political power for its namesake was never Papa Awo's motivation for power, but to use it to meet the needs and expectations of the most often forgotten poor majority in our society. And in the same path, I thread today, a path of conscience nurtured by an overwhelming desire to serve the people irrespective of social status.

When I entered the Senatorial race, I knew it won't be easy. And I had no plan B. Therefore, stepping down was never an option. That would be tantamount to shaming God who places me on the Ballot. And at the same time, vanquishing the trust and assurance of my party members that I earned during and after the primaries. Money, like fashion, is transient. But conscience and integrity are eternal.

Nothing worthwhile can be achieved easily. And not every fight is worth fighting, but you must fight, if need be, to protect the meek and the just. Above all, to secure our fundamental rights and democratic values.

Suppose there's an Ewohimi Gubernatorial Candidate who has crossed the rubicon of the primaries and it's proven that my Senatorial ambition will jeopardize the chances of such a candidate winning the gubernatorial election and emerging as the Governor, I would make an exception. In that case, I will gladly surrender my Senatorial campaign right and step down for such a candidate. Yes, I will do so, irrespective of the political party, and join forces with him or her to win the race, because the interest of Ewohimi supersedes my senatorial ambition.

However, to the extent that such a gubernatorial opportunity remains a dream of the future or a probable occurrence, persecuting me for not stepping down ahead of time for a utopian gubernatorial opportunity is most undemocratic. There is no fair play or equity here. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. God who placed me on the Ballot won't even forgive me if I take such a decision.

I didn't join the Senatorial race, with a view to stepping down before the election for another candidate and getting paid handsomely. If that's the culture I must imbibe to be branded politically savvy in Nigeria, please, count me out. I didn't leave America to come home to indulge in the "my pocket first" brand of Nigerian politics. By the way, I do not consider resisting temptations of "settlement" as an element of naivety. I'm in the race because I want to serve the people.

I know the electoral process is not a fair game and the playing field is convoluted. Right now, they are pumping money into my senatorial district with enthusiastic abandon. Intent on buying sympathy and undue advantages, donations of merchandise in the name of philanthropy have taken unprecedented scale. But, I am not daunted. Established candidates or candidates of the big parties are not immune to defeat. The people are wiser now and they are on my side.

Leadership doesn't require rocket science to be useful or result oriented. All it demands is sincerity, real love for your people, and a better understanding of the working of government as well as the machinery of state.

I believe, given the performance of the past leadership and the level of their commitment and understanding of government, I will do better than them convincingly.

For instance, the emerging NNPC approach to pipeline vandalism and the surveillance initiatives that are yielding bounteous dividends began on my Facebook Wall. That's the attitude I'm bringing to the national assembly.

Today, there are no good roads in and out of Esanland, despite the fact that we have people in Government. We cannot continue to elect low-capacity leaders who lack drive and vision. We deserve better and Esanland deserves federal presence. That's why I'm involved. And that is why stepping down is not an option.

Please, continue to pray for me, because there is power in prayer and in the words of our Heavenly Father.